Culture, Power and Poetry in Shiraz

Abstract

Culture is a key word in contemporary Iran, especially in relation to power. Developing a practice begun in the early nineties, several national and local institutions are investing in “cultural activities” as a neutralized ground for the construction of citizens. This process intersects with poetry, which has a great power of recognition and is hegemonic well beyond the state: while on one hand poetry seems to offer expressive possibilities otherwise unavailable, on the other it is in fact an effective modality of power.